Time Management for Teachers

November 02, 2010

Laure R., a first grade teacher

I work with an excellent grade level team. We meet once a week at lunch to plan the next week or two as a group. Then, if there are special materials required for projects or lessons, one person will manage the copying for the whole group. We do the same thing for homework, dividing the year evenly with each teacher taking the same number of weeks. That teacher preps the homework for the entire grade level and turns it into the office so it can be photocopied for everyone. Once you're finished with your nine weeks, you don't have to think about it again. We also have the full year of spelling tests planned out ahead of time. In September, everyone gets the whole set for the year and copies as-needed until June. Overall, this cuts out a tremendous amount of prep time, and if you save your materials year-to-year, there is only a little amount of tweaking needed to keep them up-to-date.

I still spend one afternoon a week at school, usually Friday, to finish up last-minute work and prep for the following week. However, it is nothing like it used to be, and I never take work home with me! A great book by Scott Purdy is called, Time Management for Teachers. It is so helpful! He is also an amazing presenter if you ever get a chance to attend his lectures.

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